Why Doesn’t God Answer?

Isaiah 63:7-64:7

“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.  For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” (Isaiah 63:7-9)

There is a very real tendency for people to forget what God has done for them when things are not going as they hoped, with the result that they begin to feel he has broken his promises.  Isaiah endeavors to remind them what God has done for them.  He reminds them how loving and kind God has been in giving them a land of their own, claiming them as his own children, saving them from their enemies, and  how many times he had redeemed them from captivity to other nations, enabling them to survive until they were able to reestablish themselves.

“But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.  Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?  That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?  That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?

As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.  Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?” (Isaiah 63:10-15)

Unfortunately, Israel and Judah have been like a horse or dog being led by their owner that decides to go somewhere else than where he is trying to lead them, fighting their leash or lead rope and struggling to go their own way and forgetting how much they have been blessed when the allowed him to have His way.  During the years in the wilderness, God took them like a shepherd, avoiding enemies and providing the food they needed every day.  That same God was leading in Isaiah’s day and he had not lost any of his power, nor did he love them any less. 

“Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.  The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.  We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.” (Isaiah 63:16-19)

A thousand years after God made the promise to Abraham, He might not know who they were. And Jacob might not recognize them as his descendants but God was still their father and protector.  Why has he allowed them to turn away and be so stubborn against doing what is right or showing him proper respect?  Why has he allowed people who were not his children and never obeyed him to control the land and destroy the holy things.  He requests that God fix things up for their sake. 

“Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence.  As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!  When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.  Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.” (Isaiah 64:1-5)

Isaiah asks that God would reveal himself in mighty power, like lava flowing down from the mountains, boiling away even the streams of water and melting the very rocks to make the enemies know how powerful He is.  It would be like it had in the past when God had done things they couldn’t imagine and their enemies were afraid of the God of Israel, 

Even in the Past. When god did those wonderful and powerful things, they still had no idea of the wonderful things God has planned and can do for those who follow and trust him completely or the fellowship they can have.  God will make himself known to those who are doing what he has commanded and are enjoying the privilege.  In John 14:21-23, Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.   Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

If a person will demonstrate his love of God by obeying him.  The Spirit of God will indwell him, empowering and encouraging him and developing a relationship others never experience. 

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.  And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.” (Isaiah 64:6-7)

Unfortunately, the Jews have not chosen to establish such a relationship with God.  They insist that he do everything they want while making no effort themselves to develop it, much like a wife who blames her husband for never talking to her but insists on vacuuming the floor or walking out to do something else while he tries to talk to her, making it clear she has no interest in what he is trying to say.  Their best efforts to do what is right are soiled with the wrong attitudes and have lost their shine and beauty like a leaf fallen from a tree.    Their sins have separated between them and God, so that they no longer really make an effort to please him, with the result that God is no longer going out of his way to try to talk to them.